The Vision Drowned
by Silent Hallelujah
Summary: "Naivety is a dangerous thing in Rapture, Diane. But, being a fool...well, that'll get you killed." Diane McClintock is a woman with dreams that take her far away from her blue-collared life on the surface. However, when she finds herself mingling with the two most powerful men in the city, she learns that there is only room for one dream: the Rapture dream.


" _The realization of ignorance is the first act of knowing."_

-Jean Toomer

* * *

 _March, 1949_

It didn't take long for Diane to learn how cold and isolated it was in the middle of the Northern Atlantic.

The waters were rarely ever the fresh blue she had envisioned, but instead a sloshing deep grey. Any sound of life only came from the few other people around her, a small circle of warmth in the biting wind. Worst of all, she was constantly aware of the rolling waves under her, as was her stomach for the first few days.

But, today she would find a new life, and that made it worth the trouble.

"Excited are ya?"

Diane turned to the young woman she had made the mistake of chatting with a few days ago, Sydney Barrows. She was a working class girl like herself, who oddly didn't bother to hide the fact. The woman was a little too precocious for Diane's tastes. Regardless, Sydney's question prompted a polite smile from her, "Very. I'm ready to get off this rocking seahorse."

Sydney snorted. "Me, too. Me, too." She slipped a hand into her coat pocket and pulled out a half-empty packet of cigarettes. After shimmying one out for herself, the young woman pointed the opened box to Diane with a nod, "One last Strike? Not gonna find any down there."

Waving a dismissive hand, Diane said, "No, thanks."

Sydney merely shrugged, briefly battling the wind as she lit her cigarette. The long and satisfying drag she took nearly made Diane change her mind, but she knew better than to test her gut against the jostling water.

As the two leaned on the frigid metal railing, Diane glanced back to the horizon while her mind rushed through the same questions she asked herself everyday since the start of the voyage. What would a place untouched by hardship look like, exactly? What would it _feel_ like? ...And where would she find herself?

Despite the cold, Diane couldn't bring herself to head inside. Yesterday, the captain had said that they would arrive in the early afternoon, and she wanted to be there to see it… whatever _it_ was. A private island with submarines, perhaps? The passengers were never cued in on the technicalities of the voyage. At least the mystery of it fed her curious mind.

A rough looking man came up to Sydney and wrapped and arm around her shoulders, leaning his weight onto her. "What are you two ladies gabbin' about?"

"Jesus, Bobby, you're crushing me!" Sydney whined as she half-heartedly pushed him.

"That sounds familiar."

"Oh, shut your trap." Seeing that Diane's blank face, Sydney said, "This is Bobby. We grew up in the same neighborhood. Bobby, this is Diane..."

"McClintock." Diane smiled tightly, "Nice to meet you."

Bobby tipped the brim of his worn felt hat, "Likewise, miss."

In lacking anything else to say, Diane asked, "So, what are your plans when you get to the city?"

"Besides havin' a couple of drinks? Don't care what job I get, long's I have a happy wallet."

"Well, I do." Sydney chimed in, "I wanna be one those cigarette girls. I hear they get good tips."

"Only the pretty ones get good tips."

She slapped his chest, "Bastard." Sighing loudly, Sydney regarded the other woman, "So, what do you wanna do, Diane? Wouldn't it be swell if we worked together?"

At this, Diane paled. She was not traveling down to the bottom of the ocean to be another cigarette girl. But, before she could answer, Bobby piped up, "Come on, Syd. A prim dolly like her don't be needin' to wear ruffles." His eyes slipped down her form, but it felt more speculative than perverted. Diane didn't know which was worse. Yes, she always strived to dress cleanly, so she could at least have respite from her laboring roots when looking in the mirror. Diane turned her head to the sea, hoping the salty wind would cool her face.

It was then she noticed something in the distance. There, balanced on the horizon, was a dot, like a blip on a radar. It was so tiny that Diane had to squint to see it. "What is that?"

The two followed her line of sight with narrowed eyes, Sydney mumbling, "Dunno..."

The ship sailed closer, and the dot grew larger. As the minutes passed, passengers began to gather around, commenting on the sight in various languages. The foreign structure touched the sky with it's height, like an obelisk Diane saw once in a book about ancient Egypt. She had never seen the ocean before the voyage, but she knew what it was.

A lighthouse.

There was a brief crackling sound before the captain's voice emanated from the speakers. His practiced voice instructed them to stay clear of the walkway until the boat was safely docked. Everyone watched with great interest as the ship was steered to the entrance of the lighthouse. Once it was safe to debark, a handful of men in crisp police uniforms came out through a set of massive gold-plated doors.

One man was dressed differently and did not have the same stoic expressions as the others. Instead, he wore a buttoned grey suit, with a silk pocket square and a matching tie. He stepped lively in his shiny brown oxfords and had a big warm smile. With a howdy-doo tone, he exclaimed with open arms, "Welcome to Rapture! Andrew Ryan is _very_ pleased to have so many bright minds entering this fair city. He would have _loved_ to meet you all, but, alas, he is quite a busy man. But, no doubt you will one day find him walking about and visiting Rapture's various establishments." He clasped his hands, enunciating his words carefully, "Now, the only way to enter Rapture is through the bathysphere, which is a safe and comfortable submersible. However, we can't fit all of you in at one time, so I must ask you to be patient while my friend here reads off your names. And again, welcome to Rapture!"

A nondescript policeman came forward with a clipboard. "When you hear your name, step forward with your belongings and enter the bathysphere."

As Diane awaited for her turn, she quickly grabbed her two pieces of luggage, a small suitcase and an old carpet bag. She stroked the wooden handles of the bag with her thumb, anxious. So close. _I'm so close._ The fluttering in her stomach nearly made her dizzy.

"McClintock, Diane."

Hearing her name, she inhaled sharply. _This is it._ Squaring her shoulders and tightening her grip on the luggage, Diane carefully went down the boat ramp. While her steps were slow as to ensure she wouldn't fall from the slick metal, there was also an unexpected hesitance. To start a new page that would so drastically change her former way of living- no matter how thrilling- was rather daunting.

Once she stepped onto the stone of the lighthouse, the officer regarded her with a flat palm, "Identification, please."

"Of course."

He examined her papers thoroughly and even gave a quick up-and-down. There was a brief moment as something like consideration took over his expression. Before Diane could find anything odd about it, he handed the papers back and told her to head inside. She thanked him politely as any well-mannered lady should and passed through the entryway. As she did so, the sun that had long been obscured by foul weather broke through the bellied clouds. The rays seemed to catch her blonde hair, desperately trying to tangle themselves within the soft curls.

But, Diane didn't notice. She didn't notice how those rays slipped away from her, for she only stared at the future ahead.

* * *

 _A/N: Thanks for clicking on my story (and reading the first chapter, of course!) I just wanted to say that my sources are not only the games, but also the book_ _ **Bioshock:Rapture**_ _by John Shirley. The book fleshes out supporting characters and gives the more depth, so I would highly recommend reading it if you love the little guys. :P Totally not required to understand my story, though. So, if you haven't read it, you're a-ok._


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